ments—earth, water, fire and wind They express,
linked to the ancient concept of the royal or heroic
in a mythical language, aspects of the natural set-
dragon-tamer The dragon’s overall symbolism
ting and the positive or dangerous qualities of
as well as the dragon-fighting myths in Old and
those aspects, such as rain, drought or flood Their
Middle Iranian and Persian literature have been
particular connection with the medium of water
examined in depth, respectively, by Prods Oktor
involves a nexus of ideas which also determines
Skjærvø and Djalal Khāleqī-Moṭlaq,80 while its
the dragon’s affinity with other symbols of fer-
Armenian aspect is treated by James Russell 81 In
tility of the vegetal world The chthonic nature
his book, How to Kill a Dragon: Aspects of Indo-
of the mythical creature may be associated with
European Poetics, Calvert Watkins similarly looks
the belief in dragons guarding both treasures
in detail at the structure of the ancient myths on
hidden in the earth and the sources of nature’s
the slaying of dragons, which recur throughout
abundance The ability of serpents and dragons
the Indo-European poetic tradition 82 Many of
to undergo physical change underlay, moreover,
these topics have most recently been reinvesti-
their association with numinous or demonic
gated and expanded by Michael Janda in his won-
power The overall physical division of animals
derful 2010 book, Die Musik nach dem Chaos: Der
from humans and the great diversity and physical
Schöpfungsmythos der europäischen Vorzeit 83 The
distinctiveness among animal species have made
dragon combat motif played a central role mainly
animals the preferred medium for the representa-
in the chronicles of heroic combat, in tales of
tion of the other, non-human, sphere, which was
romance, or in allegories of mystical initiation or
often characterised by the effortless passage across
religious teaching 84 The slaying or subduing of
physical and geographical boundaries Dragons
a dragon by a hero or divinity in ancient myth,
within the “natural” animal species and the realm
and its iconography and mode of transmission
of the supernatural and the strange, as well as the
in the medieval Islamic world as well as in the
visual fusion of two or more animals, are looked
Eastern Christian sphere, are explored in chapter
at in chapter 5
7 A further important aspect is the eschatological
Beyond a relation with the “natural” world,
role fulfilled by some dragon fighters The role of
the dragon is embued, on a cosmic level, with a
the equestrian warrior saints as dragon-slayers
more complex meaning as a bringer of stability
has been extensively researched by the prominent
or disorder, stasis or dynamism, life or death
scholar of Byzantine hagiography and art, Chris-
As mentioned earlier the mythical creature has a
topher Walter 85 More recently Oya Pancaroğlu
similar meaning on a “social” or “political” level,
has examined the role of the itinerant dragon-
symbolising the enemies or, as will be shown, in
slayer in medieval Anatolia 86
some cases, the champions of a society, group or
Chapter 8 aims to uncover further layers of
class By using the iconography of the dragon,
dragon iconology in the context of astrology, a
rulers aimed to ensure symbolic control over sub-
highly esteemed science in the east, its associa-
ject dominions This pivotal role accorded to the
tion with light and its role as a vehicle to convey
dragon, which figures prominently in royal and
cosmological ideas The dragon representation in
heroic symbolism and as an indicator of political
medieval Islamic astrology has been addressed
power, intellectual supremacy and socio-religious
in a number of studies, foremost among which
dominance, is discussed in chapter 6 Among
remains that of Willy Hartner (1938) who dem-
those who have worked on these concepts is Eva
onstrated over seventy years ago the influence of
Baer,79 who has formulated the expression and
the conceptualisation of the two pseudo-planetary
thoroughly explored the iconography of “the ruler
“lunar nodes” (al-ʿuqdatāni) on Islamic artisans 87
in the cosmic setting,” a form of imagery closely
Guitty Azarpay seeks to explain the theme of the
79
83
Baer, 1981
I am indebted to Professor Almut Hintze for pointing
80 Skjærvø, “Aždahā I,” EIr; Khāleqī-Moṭlaq, “Aždahā II
it out to me
84
In Persian Literature,” EIr
Russell, 2004, pp 1032, 1285–6
81
85
Russell, “Aždahā IV Armenian Aždahāk,” EIr, and
Walter, 1989a; idem, 1995; idem, 1999, and idem, 2003
86
idem, 2004
Pancaroğlu, 2004
82
87
Watkins, 1995 In the mythologies of Indo-European
Hartner, 1938; idem, 1959, and idem, 1973–4, as well
speaking societies (Indic, Iranian, Hittite, Greek, Roman,
as idem, “Al-Djawzahar,” EI² II, 501b Cf Öney, 1969a,
Germanic and Armenian) versions or traces of a type of myth
pp 193–216; Otto-Dorn, 1978–9, pp 125–36; Azarpay,
have been found wherein a god or hero overcomes a mythi-
1978, pp 363–74
cal dragon-like creature
12